A Passage to Berber Food Etiquettes.

A Passage to Berber Food Etiquettes.

B. Boussaid

Eating etiquettes differ from one culture to another. Eating norms are culturally defined among people of a given culture. Through a process of socialization children learn what kind of food is acceptable to eat and what is not. In his book Old Morocco and The forbidden Atlas, C.E. Andrews narrates his cultural shock during his life among the Berbers (1) in Morocco:

“ ….. He keeps a frightened eye on me as he brings the basin and kettle to Monsieur Lapandery (….) serves us little glasses of smoking coffee , and hot Couscous made of boiled cucumbers , egg-plant , peppers , carrots and marrow, walled in with steamed white millet.” P.164

The author is experiencing an unfamiliar cultural environment which made him disoriented. The servant brings the basin and kettle to the author and his friend to wash their hands before they eat. This washing ceremony is a life style ritual among the Berbers. Before and after any meal, The servant or a family member will bring the basin and the kettle to wash hands. This practice is one of many cultural traditions among the Berbers. It is surprising for outsiders to see people eating with their hands, no spoons or forks on the table!
Some of the food rituals among Berbers are that you need to name God before you eat and you have to praise him for giving the bounty of food and drink. Berbers use their right hand to eat. If you use both hands, It is a sign of bad manners. Most of the time, it is not acceptable for children to eat outside unless it was while working in the fields (agriculture). People in Berber communities share food on one plate and sometimes share the same glass of water . While eating you are expected to eat what is in front of you.
Another element which is need a deep consideration is the serving of mint flavored tea. A symbol of hospitality, you can not refuse an invitation to tea. There are several rituals related to tea drinking. What makes good tea or bad tea? According to Berber culture tea is supposed to be prepared by a old wise person. The table master is a well-known person having experience of making good tea. Tea is served is small tea glasses and it should have a white foamy 'head' or 'turban' at the top of the glass. Otherwise it is a sign of bad tea.
Berbers celebrate the New Year in mid January, They have a special meal for that night which was this year the 14th of January. They take twelve dates or nuts they named by the month of year and then make a wish. They serve a special meal with a date hidden inside. The person, who finds that hidden date, will get the key to the main storage where they keep all the crops and stored foods .Berbers think that that lucky person will manage food wisely. A detailed account of this is reported by H. Stroomer in his book: Textes Berbères des Guendiwa et Goundafa.
To sum up, there are several elements related to eating and drinking habits in Berber communities that are full of symbolic significance.

1-('Berber') is used in this paper to refer to the first inhabitants of North Africa , and those people call themselves “ Imazighen” which mean literary the free people. They speak a language called “Tamazight”.

Bibliography:

Stroomer, H. (2001). Textes Berbères des Guendiwa et Goundafa. EDISUD.
Andrews, C.E. (1922). Old Morocco and The forbidden Atlas. George H Doran Company.